My ears will be burning tonight just after the dinner hour when five environmental groups join the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the town of Kennebunk for a viewing of our film, A Chemical Reaction. Since I’ve seen the film, it’s the forum afterward that will pique my curiosity.

Partners and presenters include the Kennebunk Coastal Association, the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, the Kennebunk Land Trust, the University of New England and Lawns for Lobsters. The Maine Landscape & Nursery Association has put its membership on full alert to attend the film and forum, which is aimed at Kennebunk becoming the sixth town in Maine to ban certain synthetic pesticides on public property — joining Scarborough, which just adopted its policy Wednesday night.

The film starts at 7 and the 45-minute forum is slated to conclude at 9.

These types of events are always most interesting to me, since Maine was my personal residence for more than 50 years — and mostly because many of the men and women on the opposite side of the issue are great personal friends of mine. They fear for their livelihoods, and I feel for them, but the reality is the chemical lawn care providers are on the wrong side of history, of the environment and of human and animal health.

As natural lawn care providers in Connecticut, New Jersey, Canada and elsewhere have proven, there is business life after chemicals have been banned. More evidence piles up daily about the toxicity of weed killers such as Roundup, 2,4-D (see below) and so many of the other products upon which the lawn industry has relied on for far too long.

I urge the residents of Kennebunk to stand strong tonight in favor of doing the right thing. People I love and respect will stand there with a straight face, probably somewhat reddened, and declare that their products are “safe when used as directed” and “approved by the EPA” and therefore safe.

The truth is that ANY product that requires EPA approval is inherently NOT safe and that is expressly why the products need an EPA registration in the first place. The EPA gives exemptions to products presumed to be safe; these products don’t need a Caution, Warning or Danger label on the container. In EPA parlance truly safe products get a “25B Exemption” and they are the only ones allowed to make safety claims in their marketing.

The chemical lawn care industry will also stand there tonight and state that they’re trained, they’re licensed and they know what they’re doing. They’ll state that they’ll have to lay off workers and lose jobs if they lose their right to spread their profitable products. They’ll probably project that they will lose playing fields if they can’t utilize synthetic chemical grub controls.

The reality is that the natural lawn industry is coming up with new products to kill grubs and keep lawns green. And while I agree that many licensed professional members of MeLNA and other licensing bodies across North America typically do a good job that is safe as possible, the truth is that not all of them do. And in a place like Kennebunk, Maine, on the shoreline, I always ask this simple question: “How many days a year do you really have when at least a breeze isn’t blowing?” People always laugh, because the answer is damn few. That means that applications of fertilizers and pesticides in places like Kennebunk, Maine, are almost always drifting off target.

At least one member of the professional panel tonight will state that “Paul Tukey was the worst offender” of all when he was a professional landscaper (right, Jesse?). And that was true. I always freely admit that when I was a licensed pesticide applicator in Maine in the early 1990s, I coated thousands of lawns with weed and insect killers. I applied on windy days, and rainy days, or on sweltering hot July and August afternoons when thunderstorms would wash everything away hours later. I didn’t always wear the proper protective gear — like the vast majority of my brethren — because 16-hour days in moon suits are really, really uncomfortable.

I also put myself in the hospital in those days because the stuff I was using was toxic. Did I poison anyone else in the process?

The answer to that question is still what drives me today. Next week I’ll be in Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland. The week after that it will be in the District of Columbia and Virginia.

And though I won’t be in Kennebunk tonight, I’ll be there on screen and in spirit urging the town of Kennebunk to join the right side of history while the anti-pesticide movement has this much wind in its sails. You never know if the political conditions will be this favorable again.

* Here is a wikipedia rundown on 2,4-D health risks:

Different organizations have taken different stances on 2,4-D’s cancer risk. On August 8, 2007, the United States Environmental Protection Agency issued a ruling that stated that existing data does not support a conclusion that links human cancer to 2,4-D exposure.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified 2,4-D among the phenoxy acid herbicides MCPA and 2,4,5-T as a class 2B carcinogen – possibly carcinogenic to humans.

A 1995 panel of 13 scientists reviewing studies on the carcinogenicity of 2,4-D had divided opinions, but the predominant opinion was that it is possible that 2,4-D causes cancer in humans.

A 1990 study of farmers in Nebraska, even when adjusting for exposure to other chemicals, found that 2,4-D exposure substantially increased the risk of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL).

A 2000 study of 1517 former employees of Dow Chemical Company who had been exposed to the chemical in manufacturing or formulating 2,4-D found no significant increase in risk of mortality due to NHL following 2,4-D exposure, but did find an increase in risk of mortality due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The amine salt formulations can cause irreversible eye damage (blindness); ester formulations are considered non-irritating to the eyes.

One study found that occupational exposure to 2,4-D caused male reproductive problems, including dead and malformed sperm.

Concerns regarding neurotoxicity have been voiced with increased sensitivity to amphetamine and thus concerns of increased risk of drug addiction among those exposed.

Here is the MSDS warning label for 2,4-D

Exposure may cause liver, kidney, gastrointestinal and muscular effects. Signs and
symptoms of excessive exposure may be anxiety, eye-twitching, nausea and/or vomiting and abdominal cramps and/or diarrhea. Other symptoms of 2,4-D poisoning include weakness and fatigue, numbness and tingling, confusion, bleeding, and in some cases neurotoxic effects including inflammation of nerve endings and long-term chemical hypersensitivity. Some medical reports from practitioners who have treated victims of acute exposure to 2,4-D mention severe and sometimes long lasting or even permanent symptoms.

The 1967 Masters golf tournament, won by Gay Brewer, right, was the first time the Augusta National Country Club appeared in full color on television.

Did you know the lawn chemical industry can be traced to the second weekend of April of 1967? That’s the weekend the “Augusta Syndrome” was born, causing grown men across the U.S. to covet perfectly manicured green lawns of their own. The picture, at left, shows a young Jack Nicklaus fitting Gay Brewer with his green jacket after Brewer won the tournament that had been broadcast live and in color for the first time.

Detailing the efforts of a town to ban synthetic weed killers on town property, this article appeared with that golf tidbit in the lead on Thursday in the Forecaster, a Maine newspaper, incidently, where I began my career as a gardening columnist nearly 20 years ago:
http://www.theforecaster.net/content/s-scarborough-pesticides-policy-090211. The town of Scarborough, Maine, plans to screen the film, A Chemical Reaction on Sept. 14 at 6:30 p.m. at the Scarborough Public Library. The film tells the story of Hudson, Quebec, that became the first town in North America to ban pesticides 20 years ago.

By Heather Colpitts

The issue of cosmetic pesticides will be examined when the documentary A Chemical Reaction is shown at a special viewing May 18.

The Canadian Cancer Society, in partnership with Langley Environmental Partners Society (LEPS), Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s School of Horticulture and the Green Ideas Network, are inviting residents to learn more.

“The documentary, A Chemical Reaction, is 75 minutes of pure inspiration that a community can come together and overcome great odds to effect change,” said Nichole Marples, LEPS cxecutive director.

The film is a bonus Green Wednesday event. Green Wednesdays are monthly environmental gatherings at Kwantlen. The regular series wrapped up in April but the different organizations involved teamed up with the CCS for this showing, which starts at 7 p.m.

A Chemical Reaction tells the story of a community initiative that eventually resulted in Canada’s first bylaw to ban the use of all chemical pesticides and herbicides, in the town of Hudson, Que.

The bylaw withstood a challenge by the chemical industry in the Supreme Court of Canada and so far the provinces of Quebec and Ontario have implemented provincial bans on the sale and use of cosmetic pesticides. So far 168 Canadian municipalities have adopted similar bylaws.

“We hope that this public screening will help to further educate our communities on the health risks associated with unnecessary cosmetic pesticide use,” said Mandip Kharod, the Canadian Cancer Society health promotion coordinator.

Admission is by donation and Kwantlen has paid parking. Refreshments are provided by the partner organizations A Bread Affair and LadyBug Organics but people are asked to bring a mug.

People planning to attend are asked to register in advance for planning purposes. Contact one of the following: 604-599-3311, Gary.Jones@Kwantlen.ca, 604-532-3511 or nmarples@tol.ca.

To learn more about A Chemical Reaction, go to ifightcancer.ca or chemicalreactionmovie.com.

© Copyright (c) Langley Advance

http://www.langleyadvance.com/Growing+reaction/4797221/story.html

http://www.dailybulletin.ca/article/20110412/KIMBERLEY0101/304129999/-1/kimberley01/lawn-and-garden-hoe-down

http://golden.inthekoots.com/2011/04/11/healthy-lawn-and-garden-workshop-organic-expert-comes-to-golden-2/

http://www.bclocalnews.com/kootenay_rockies/invermerevalleyecho/news/119631204.html

The event, which hopes to attract several hundred people, will be held at the popular venue, Georgia’s Farm to Market, beginning at 3 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer session featuring organic fertilizer expert Mike Serant. He’ll offer information about how to transition landscapes from reliance on chemicals to more environmentally friendly methods.

“This is an incredibly important and powerful film,” said Serant, who owns San Jacinto Environmental Supplies, a wholesale distributor of landscape materials in Houston. “It’s a great story about the power to effect change in the community and the world at large.”

“Watch this movie if you are a homeowner. Watch this movie if you are a parent. Watch this movie if you own a pet. Watch this movie if you know there is a better way,” said the non-profit organization HoustonGreenScene.org, which is helping to promote the event.

Tickets are $5, which is payable at the door.

“Seeing the film galvanized the people in the town to take action . . . ”

“If Canada can ban lawn chemicals, we should, and can, do it here, too . . . ”

THOSE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE THOUSANDS OF COMMENTS we have heard in the past 16 months since the film, A Chemical Reaction, premiered at the Montreal World Film Festival in Montreal. Director Brett Plymale’s film about Hudson, Quebec, the first town in North America to ban lawn and garden pesticides, has motivated tens of thousands of filmgoers to take action in their own communities.

Some folks are simply making changes in their own yards after seeing the film. Others are talking to neighbors. The most motivated activists are talking to mayors, town counselors and even state legislators. The film has been screened at least 100 times inside council chambers.

With several screenings in the coming week, the film is going strong from Maine to Manitoba. Some folks have screened the film in their communities five times or more and not a day goes by without someone asking, by phone or email: “How do we get the movie to play in our town?”

That answer is simple, really: Make it happen!

SafeLawns.org is a small organization and we don’t have the staff to organize screenings by ourselves, so we rely on individuals and groups from cities and towns and across North America to help us get the movie out there. We never signed a so-called “distribution deal” with a studio, so that we retain total control.

So if you want to bring the film, A Chemical Reaction, to your town, here’s a checklist:

THE BASICS

1) Pick a date. Try to avoid major competing events in the same town. Perhaps, however, you can find a compatible event such as a flower show where people are already congregating for a similar reason.
2) Pick a day and time. There’s lots of debate on this one about what’s better: weeknights, weekends, or weekend afternoons. The general consensus is that Wednesday and Thursday evenings around 7 are great — except for people with very young children. Weekend nights can run into social conflicts. Sunday afternoons have been really popular. One note: children really seem to like the movie and come away full of questions about how their own lawns and parks are treated, or not, with chemicals.
3) Who are the other potential stakeholders? In other words, who is interested in helping promote the movie? Look for: garden clubs, church groups, watershed associations, conservation groups, universities, Cooperative Extensions, organic food stories and co-ops etc. Parent-teacher associations are excellent. These are the people who are really motivated to make the world a better place for kids. It’s a good idea to find at least a couple of collaborators right from the start; others will join in later.
4) Pick a venue. So far we’ve shown the film everywhere from the massive Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, to a church basement in Concord, N.H., and everywhere in between. Basically anywhere a DVD can be played, the movie can be screened. As filmmakers, we love theaters. Nothing beats it. But college auditoriums work great and are often less expensive. Community halls are fine, though the PA and lighting can sometimes be challenging.
5) Assess your equipment. We’ve had a few horror stories about DVD players that didn’t work, or PA systems that sounded muffled, or even lights that couldn’t be shut off due to timers. Try to test all this in advance of the big night.
6) Decide which version of the film to show. Two versions now exist, including the full-length 75-minute feature film that includes all the great background information, as well as the 55-minute classroom version. The longer film has more emotional impact; the shorter version can be watched over lunch to get the point across.

THE PROMOTION
This is always tougher than people think. Almost universally, excited local folks think that drawing hundreds of people to a movie is going to be a piece of cake. It’s not, ever. Here are a few keys:

1) The Initial Notice. Get the notice of the film screening to the local magazines and newspapers absolutely as soon as possible for their calendars of events. Many of these folks have long lead times.
2) Who Knows Who? Many communities have local gardening writers or radio hosts who are accessible. Are there other television hosts or newspaper reporters who might cover the arrival of the movie in advance? Prior coverage is more essential than post coverage and a well-timed article or TV piece can literally put dozens if not hundreds of extra eyeballs on the screen.
3) Social Networking. These days Facebook, Twitter and all the on-line stuff really does work. Old-fashioned networking is critical, too. Plan a girls’ night out prior to the movie with a group of a half dozen friends. Post a notice wherever people congregate in your town.
4) Posters and Postcards. We will provide electronic support with images that can be customized for your use. Larger posters in key areas are great, but creating something that can hang on the refrigerator is essential, too.
5) An Email Campaign and Web Sites. All of your stakeholders know people and probably have lists. Leverage all these. Ask people to post the event on their web sites and blogs. A good rule of thumb is to email people three times: one month out, one week out and two days out.
6) Mailing Lists. A direct-mail campaign for a one-time movie event can be cost prohibitive, but take a look at any mailing lists that exist within your circle of stakeholders. You’ll probably find a few people worth buying a stamp for.
7) Door Hangers. If there is a neighborhood where you suspect chemicals are being used and abused, consider a door hanger compaign asking: “Is Your Lawn Safe for Your Children?” with a notice of the movie. They may not come to the film, but they’ll see the message. Note: Check with your town hall to see if door hangers are legal; some municipalities have ordinances against these.
Send the notice to us for our calendar. We maintain an ongoing list of events, but too many times we only hear about the details of a screening after the fact. SafeLawns.org is a place where thousands of the most motivated people congregate daily.

MAKING IT UNIQUE

Paul Tukey on stage in front of several hundred master gardeners in Robinson, Illinois.

It’s fine to have a screening for 20 people and call it good. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that at all. To create a buzz in your town that could lead to real change — a bylaw, an ordinance or just a change in your neighbors’ behavior with regard to pesticides — then it’s a good idea to turn the movie screening into a must-see event. Here’s how:
1) Find Local Sponsors. In Burlington, Vt., the local organizers signed on Ben & Jerry’s, Seventh Generation, Gardeners Supply and Green Mountain Coffee as sponsors — which gave them a budget and access to mailing lists instantly. While not every town has iconic sponsor potential like Burlington, most towns do have businesses who are socially and environmentally conscious.
2) Hold a Networking Reception. For an hour prior to the film, invite your sponsors and stakeholders to set up tables. Invite local restaurants and food stores to set up booths. INVITE THE MAYOR, the town manager, the local elected officials. This is essential. Get a few key folks to commit early so you can use their names to draw others.
3) Plan a Panel Discussion. After the film, when the audience is still captive, pick three or four articulate members of the stakeholder community to talk about the issues just presented in the film. Remember, this isn’t just about lawn pesticides. The film covers community action, the Precautionary Principle, state pre-emption laws, homeowners’ rights, health and the environment. Ideal panelists include: doctors, elected officials, lawn care professionals, local activists. The panel can be as big a draw, if not more, than the movie.

THE FINANCES
A “home” screening for up to 20 people costs $30. Other fee structures depending on audience size can be found at http://www.safelawns.org/chemical-reaction/. If you would like to have activist/film producer Paul Tukey or the film’s director, Brett Plymale, in attendance, we do charge an honorarium plus expenses to cover our travel, lodging and meals. When I come to town, I’ll often be involved with several speeches and/or training sessions in the same day prior to an evening film screening. I always tell organizers to keep me busy to maximize the potential of the visit.

At one recent event, I appeared at a elementary school assembly at 10 a.m., met with the city council at lunch, trained a group of lawn care professionals about organic techniques in the afternoon. Then, after dinner with local organizers, we screened the film followed by a panel discussion that I moderated.
In the process, we touched hundreds of people and, even if they didn’t make a change instantly, I know we got them thinking about pesticide reduction, water quality and children’s safety.

Showing the film is an amazing tool. So, as I said already . . . if you’re motivated, make it happen!

http://www.bclocalnews.com/kootenay_rockies/trailrosslandnews/news/104904234.html

http://www.bclocalnews.com/kootenay_rockies/trailrosslandnews/opinion/104904319.html

The historic Regent Theater in Arlington, which seats 500 people, will host a free screening of A Chemical Reaction on Thursday, Sept. 16.

Mark your calendars for Thursday, Sept. 16, for a free screening of the documentary film, A Chemical Reaction, courtesy of Mahoney’s Garden Centers of Massachusetts as well as Mahoney’s SafeLawns & Landscapes of Winchester.

You can register on-line to receive your free tickets here: http://www.mahoneysgarden.com/events/upcoming-events or call 781-729-5900 ext 247. The screening will be held at the historic and elegant Regent Theater in Arlington, Mass., one of the best venues in New England for an old-fashioned movie experience.

Doors open at 6, with folks from Mahoney’s SafeLawns & Landscapes, a 100 percent organic lawncare service that we helped launch in 2009. Mahoney’s SafeLawns is now run by Kristina MacPherson, an organic wunderkind, who was the technical advisor for the entire SafeLawns & Landscapes franchise operation from 2007-2009. She’ll be on hand for the Thursday screening along with yours truly.

Here is the press release from Mahoney’s:

After winning film festival awards from Florida to Montreal, “A Chemical Reaction” will be presented at a special one-night showing at The Regent Theatre in Arlington on September 16th at 7:00 PM.

The feature documentary tells the story of an unlikely community initiative in Hudson, Quebec started with one lone voice. In 1984 Dr. June Irwin, a dermatologist, noticed a connection between her patients’ health conditions and their exposure to chemical pesticides and herbicides. She brought her concerns to town meetings that lawn chemicals posed severe health risks and had unknown side effects on the environment. Dr. Irwin’s relentless arguments and persuasive data eventually led the town to enact a by-law that banned the use of all chemical pesticides and herbicides.

The most mighty chemical companies in North America pushed back with their full legal weight on the tiny town. This set off a chain of high-profile court cases that culminated in the Canadian Supreme Court in 2001 with startling and industry-changing results.

Executive Producer, Paul Tukey, a former HGTV host and the founder of the U.S. non-profit organization known as SafeLawns.org, is one of the nation’s leading experts on organic lawn care. After becoming seriously ill with acute pesticide sensitivity from applying chemical lawn products in his own lawn care business, Paul became an outspoken advocate for alternatives to chemical lawn care. He travels across the country lecturing on the subject and has written the leading book, “The Organic Lawn Care Manual.”

Paul Tukey appears frequently on screen while interviewing key figures in the anti-pesticide movement in Canada and the U.S. It’s reported that 78 million U.S households use home and garden pesticides. This accounts for the spreading of 67 million pounds of synthetic pesticides on lawns annually. Americans spend $700 million each year on pesticides for green, weed-free lawns.

The award-winning documentary film “A Chemical Reaction” – while being a heart-warming, inspirational story about the origin of the natural lawn care movement in Canada and the U.S.– is also a powerful tool for individuals and organizations interested in reducing and/or eliminating pesticides from the environment, especially around homes and schools.